


Circe

by fleurjaune



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Akumatized Main Character(s), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Awkwardness, Dramatic Irony, F/M, I mean...I don't think the canon plot changes after this, Identity Issues, Nathalie Sancoeur Is Not Mayura, Not Between the Mains, Original Akuma, Pining, Revenge, Season/Series 02, Sexual Harassment, Unresolved Emotional Tension, but obvs this never happened, even if I think I've written more of a S3 onward gabenath dynamic, look it's early season 2 so certain issues aren't a thing, pre gorizilla, though it could do
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-17 05:07:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29094744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fleurjaune/pseuds/fleurjaune
Summary: “I'm fine. Well, I’d be a pretty perfect target for an akuma right now but we’re almost done anyway.” Nathalie paused and considered, she’d been joking, but now that she thought about it, didn’t there have to be some advantage to working for Hawkmoth?
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Nathalie Sancoeur, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth/Nathalie Sancoeur, Nathalie Sancoeur/Original Character(s)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 60





	Circe

“Oh, Miss Sancoeur,” the receptionist from the advertising firm said, “You’re early.”

Personally Nathalie didn’t think she was. After all it wasn’t as if it would be polite to turn up _at_ the time of the meeting with their contact at the advertising firm, since she had yet to get to the correct floor and office of the building.

“Could you let Mr Beaufils know I’m here?” She said and couldn’t help but feel a little irritated. Much as she wasn’t looking forward to meeting the man she didn’t want to wait around for him any longer either and give the dread time to build up. The absolute best thing she could do would be to get this over and done with.

“Of course,” the other woman gave her a perfectly faked smile back, “If you just take a seat over there.”

She got out her phone and wondered if she had time to play a quick round of something on it. All her scores were plateauing ever since Gabriel had decided to become Hawkmoth and she’d had to devote her time into covering for his absences.

Unfortunately or fortunately depending on how she chose to look at it the man she was waiting for decided to turn up at that point. Nathalie stood up quickly in the hopes they could get the greeting over with, preferably _without_ his lips brushing her cheek this time around, like they had the last time he’d been the one to greet her.

“Mr Beaufils,” she said professionally as possible

“Sorry, Nathalie,” He said with a painfully insincere grin, “I got a bit caught up things. I see Mr Agreste wasn’t able to make it in person again today.”

“No I’m afraid not,” She said tightly, “I hope that won’t be an issue.”

“Having to spend time in your charming presence is never a burden,” the man said, “Now shall we?”

Irritated at the confirmation that the flirtatious manner she remembered was still in full force it took her a moment to realise he was gesturing toward the door to _outside_ and not to his office.

“Er, Mr Beaufils?”

“I’ve told you before, feel free to call me Oliver.”

There was absolutely nothing she wanted to do less but, “Oliver, has the location of your office moved?”

That awful faux-charming grin appeared again, “I thought we could have the meeting over lunch. I’ve booked a table at the most gorgeous little place nearby. I hope you haven’t eaten already.”

He knew full well she hadn’t given that it was early for lunch for as it was, and she decided to say that, “It’s a little early for lunch isn’t it?”

“Not _that_ early, now come on,” his hand went to the small of her back and she cringed internally, “We don’t want to miss our reservation.”

 _This_ was the problem with going to meetings with Oliver Beaufils. He was so good at making the other person seem like the unreasonable one, as if he wasn’t the one who continued flirting despite her very clear signals that she was not interested.

She clutched her tablet to her chest like it was a shield, “Mr Agreste will be attending the meeting virtually. I’m not sure he’d find it appropriate.”

“Don’t worry I’ll make sure Gabriel knows it’s my idea. You don’t have to worry about getting in trouble.”

“How kind, but I really don’t feel like he’d approve.” Gabriel _did_ have something of a reputation for a temper. She could only hope it would play to her advantage this once.

“If he doesn’t want other people treating his assistant to lunch then maybe he should take you out himself.”

She wondered if she was reading too much into it by thinking that it wasn’t just lunch the man was referring to, and was torn between stressing that she and Mr Agreste had a _purely_ professional relationship, or implying things herself in the hope that the idea that another man had a claim on her might actually make Mr Beaufils back off as infuriating as that idea was.

Though if she did imply that and then he said something to Gabriel, well she _might_ get lucky and he’d miss the implication if it was subtle since she was sure he’d never consider it, or with her luck Mr Beaufils would say something obvious and he’d go ballistic at the insult to Emile.

She tried to hedge her bets, and look innocent though it wasn’t an expression that came naturally to her face, “That would be an exceedingly odd thing for him to do. Neither of us are fond of eating out.”

That was a lie. She was rather fond of not having to cook or wash up, but honestly that could be more easily accomplished for free if she ate at the Agreste’s.

“How unusual,” Mr Beaufils said looking slightly thrown for the first time in the conversation, “I hope I can change your mind.”

“I doubt it.” She said flatly as her patience was worn down enough that she didn’t really feel like not being rude about it anymore, but she knew if she caused a scene about it here everyone would think she was being ridiculous turning down a free lunch and acting like he’d _actually_ done something, because that was the issue-that he always stayed _just_ the right side of the line that any complaints would seem excessive, “Where have you booked?”

* * *

“How’s your wife?” Nathalie asked on the way to the restaurant in the vague hope that reminding him of his marriage would help matters. It wasn’t a strong hope since she’d heard gossip about his affairs before, but hopefully it might do _something._

“Oh Marie’s back out east managing her family vineyard, we’re thinking of moving the children to school there, and I’d stay the week in Paris and then go up there on weekends. ”

She almost stumbled in her panic at that response and wished she’d never brought it up. He was _definitely_ shopping for a mistress then. If only he’d think of someone else to be it. All she’d heard suggested he only had one affair at a time, which was a loyalty of a sort she supposed.

He wasn’t having one currently.

Nathalie just couldn’t understand why he’d set his sights on _her._ There was plenty of women in Paris, plenty of _prettier_ women in Paris who might be open to the arrangement. He was handsome enough, and tall, and charming if you liked that sort of thing.

Hell, if he wasn’t married, and she wasn’t currently an accomplice to a supervillain in a way that made her uncomfortable about having to hide that in any relationship _she_ might even be open to his flirting.

Or not, because she suspected he’d always have a wandering eye, and trauma from her own parent’s mockery of a marriage or not, Nathalie had always craved loyalty in a relationship. Someone that looked at you like you shone so bright they’d never notice anyone else.

Gabriel looked at Emilie like that.

He gave her hope that love like that _did_ exist. She only wished she could help him succeed in saving his wife and vindicating it. It would feel like having had some little part in that even if she didn’t ever find it for herself.

“That sounds difficult,” She replied belatedly, “My apologies.”

* * *

As she’d expected Gabriel _did_ take umbrage at the location, but that bloody man she was meeting with managed to brush it off, not least by implying that it was good for _Nathalie_ who he indicated was being overworked and needed some sort of reward.

Nathalie thought this was exactly the opposite of that and whether or not she was being overworked was none of his business.

Unfortunately clearly Gabriel didn’t pick up on her emotions over the overall thrum of Paris’ he felt through his Miraculous.

She tried to get her replies as bland, professional and uninterested as possible as the conversation went on. She’d say that at least the food was good but she couldn’t enjoy it at all, when he kept _looking_ at her like that.

Even Gabriel seemed to pick up something was off from the odd pauses in his conversation.

* * *

His foot brushed her calf under the table, and as it moved upwards it was clear it wasn’t accidental.

“Sorry, I just need to run to the loo,” she excused herself and fled, leaving the tablet behind her on the table. Gabriel could continue his conversation if he wanted. She didn’t need to be there. She was only there in person because there had been physical contracts to get signed too.

Her phone rang just after she made her escape to the loo. _Gabriel._ That was odd. He should still be talking to that sleazebag out there.

“Sir?” She answered, “Did you lose the connection?”

“I pretended to.”

“Oh.” She wasn’t sure what to make of that, “Why?”

“I thought some things about this meeting seemed a bit odd. The location for one.”

“Ah. _That._ ” She spat out.

“I’m not,” there was a pause, “interrupting anything am I?”

“Trust me. I’d be delighted for this to be interrupted.” She admitted. It had always seemed like too little to bother him with but today was an escalation and if Gabriel could wield any of his power to get her out of it she was willing to take it.

His voice softens in that way that always gets her, even as she always feels guilty at being the recipient, “ _Are_ you ok? I can call this meeting off, get one of the other's to handle it, or something.”

“I can handle it. Just please try and look as stern as possible and tell him I have to leave immediately once you’ve agreed.”

“You shouldn’t have to _handle_ it,” Gabriel audibly bristled over the phone, “I can refuse to continue to do business with them.”

“Over a man flirting with me? That would be ridiculous, and you know what people would say.”

There was a silence as he clearly wrestled with whether doing what he wanted was worth the disrespect to Emilie any rumours would be and then he said, “People say stupid things anyway. I’d be happier knowing we at least got something out of it.”

“Really I’m fine.” He might not mind the rumours as much but then people wouldn’t insinuate things to _him_ as much as they did to her, and she hated seeing people disparage what he and Emilie had like that with everything he was doing to get her back.

“ _Really?_ ”

“Well, I’d be a pretty perfect target for an akuma right now but we’re almost done anyway.”

“Careful. You wouldn’t want Hawkmoth to hear you saying that, it would rather mess up your plans for the day.”

She’d been joking, but now that she thought about it didn’t there have to be _some_ advantage to working for Hawkmoth?

“It’d be worth it,” she said with as much conviction as she could down the phone-line. It wasn’t hard when she honestly did mean it. She got as sick of holding everything inside as anyone else did.

There was silence from the phone, and she mentally begged him to realise she was being serious.

“Well,” he said eventually, “I won’t expect you to run away from any akumas then.”

* * *

There was a beep by the side of her ear.

“Shoot,” an voice, annoyingly familiar from all the videos Nathalie had watched as research, said making it clear that she hadn’t succeeded in the getting Ladybug’s Miraculous, “Chat Noir, could you?”

“No problem my lady. I’ll sort things out here, you go.” Chat Noir said, with a strange eagerness to his voice as if he almost _wanted_ Ladybug to go which would be a first in her experience.

Nathalie watched the interaction between the heroes from her position on the floor. She wasn’t exactly sure how she’d ending up sitting down when she was de-transformed but she supposed it was a good position to receive the heroes’ sympathies from.

“Are you sure?” Ladybug said, sounding rather unsure herself.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t use Cataclysm. I’ve plenty of time.”

“Well alright then,” the girl said and ran off goodness knows where.

Nathalie had a faint regret that she couldn’t follow her but she’d _never_ be able to explain that.

Once Ladybug was out of hearing distance Chat Noir looked down at her, “Are you ok?”

“Fine.” She said, “I didn’t make things too hard for you and Ladybug I hope?”

He sat down next to her. “Um, I mean you did turn me into a pig but its fine, Ladybug fixed me up.”

“A pig?” She asked in surprise, but even as she said it some hazy memory came of her time under of Hawk Moth’s powers, and _yes,_ that did seem to fit, though she more remembered the satisfaction she’d felt than each individual action.

“Yeah, you were, um Circe? Honestly by akuma standards it wasn’t a bad look. Grecian.”

“Really?” She’s not sure if she should thank Gabriel later or reprimand him for not making her look _just_ as ridiculous as any Akuma including his own, “I’m not sure how to feel about that. Still it looks like Ladybug sorted it all out like she always does.”

“As she always does.” Chat Noir agreed with the dopiest smile on his face, but then he frowned and seemed to be trying to find something on her face, “but do you need help? With whatever situation got you into this? I mean with your powerset and the guys you were targeting, I sort of can’t help but come to certain conclusions.”

Nathalie felt rather uncomfortable at his concern when she was willingly abetting the man they were fighting, and shook her head hoping to get rid of him and his guilt-inducing compassion, “That's kind of you to offer but I need to get back to work.”

His frown didn’t lessen, “And work’s going to be ok? With whatever got you akumatised?”

“It’ll be awkward,” she shrugged, “but worth it honestly. Hopefully he’ll think twice about how he deals with women after this.”

The boy’s face had fallen further, and she realised her mistake.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to say I _wanted_ to get akumatised I know,”

He held his hand up to stop her, “It’s ok. We know people can’t help it and it sounds like you had a pretty good reason. Honestly if some good can come out of people being akumatised at least that’s _something_ for what Hawkmoth puts the city through. Besides it looked like most of the guys you targeted deserved it.”

“I can’t remember exactly, but the first guy definitely did.”

Next to her Chat Noir shifted awkwardly, “You um, you work for Gabriel Agreste don’t you?”

“I do.” She admitted carefully. It wasn’t as if her job was a secret, and her boss _was_ famous, but it seemed odd for Chat Noir to be aware of that; he’d hardly struck her as the type to be interested in the fashion world enough to know designer’s assistants even with how Gabriel sent her out to occasions _he_ should attend.

She looked the boy up and down trying to see if she could recognise him as one of Adrien’s friends, which would make slightly more sense, but something about the Miraculous transformation made it hard to hold his features in her face.

“It,” the superhero swallowed, “It wasn’t _him_ who did this to you was it?”

“What?” came out of her mouth completely unthinkingly, as her heat rate suddenly spiked.

“I mean, it hasn’t _him_ who,” Chat Noir seemed to grasp for words then said, “upset you was it?”

She could feel her heart beats returning to normal as she realised what he’d meant and that he still had _no_ idea about Gabriel being Hawkmoth.

“No,” she was able to say with a completely clear conscience, “It wasn’t him. God no, Mr Agreste would never do anything like that.”

He was so rightly devoted to Emilie, she couldn’t even imagine him showing _interest_ in her, never showing _unwelcome_ interest.

“Good. That’s good,” Chat Noir’s hand went to the back of his neck looking kind of sheepish, “Not that I really thought he would do anything like that deliberately but I know he’s lost his wife, and that could make things difficult for you, and that, um, it doesn’t really matter anyway, you’re ok.”

“Yes, I’m fine,” Nathalie agreed somewhat nonplussed at Chat Noir’s behaviour, even as he had no _idea_ how difficult Emilie’s condition had made things for her. She supposed he must take his conception of himself as a hero very seriously.

The boy smiled but it looked more practised than true, “You know even if it wasn’t him he should still looking out for you more than he is if this is happening. I could always go pay him a visit to remind him of that fact if you want.”

The image was amusing but she thought it would only annoy Gabriel to be so close to one of the Miraculous he wanted and to be unable to take it, “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure Mr Agreste would have intervened had he known of the situation.”

“As he should do,” Chat Noir nodded, then looked away, “You don’t really think that I harass Ladybug do you?”

She raised her eyebrows a fraction and he clarified, “It’s just, I don’t know all those guys you targeted but the ones I _did_ recognise seemed like they sort of deserved it, and then there was me. And I guess I did kind of say something flirty before you did it.”

“The fact you’re second-guessing your behaviour makes me think you’re not much like those others, but the person you should be asking is _Ladybug,_ not me,” she pointed out, and then cursed herself for not telling him his actions was fine and helping cause a rift between the two heroes.

She guessed it was that the situation felt a little like talking to Adrien, and that made her want to be helpful to him. Not that _Adrien_ would ever get himself into a situation like this. She was confident he was too well behaved to ever make a girl uncomfortable. No, if _Adrien_ was to upset a girl it would be by not returning her interest.

“Yeah, maybe I should.” He said, “I guess if you’re ok I should let you go back to work then, but um, maybe try and keep your #ExposeYourPig metaphorical next time.”

“I can do that,” she glanced around the square they were in, “I doubt that I’m going to have much trouble going forward though.”

* * *

Gabriel was yelling down the phone as she came in, “yes, I do think that based on today's events we can consider our working relationship ended. The lack of professionalism shown by your employee is astonishing “

She watched him touched by the gesture. It was always nice watching him get cross at someone _else_ and it being on her behalf was just the cherry on top.

That said once he put the phone down she did feel the need to say, “I did say you didn’t need to do that. People will say it's an overreaction.”

“Oh but you’re forgetting something,” he smirked, “He upset my assistant, a woman who is known for not being easily ruffled, enough that she got akumatised. Clearly he had to do something very unacceptable to do that.”

A matching smirk mirrored his on her own face as she realised the truth of what he’d said, “You’re right. I hadn’t considered _that._ That _does_ make it seem quite justified.”

Their eyes met in mutual amusement and satisfaction, and suddenly they were both laughing. She had to put out a hand to steady herself and somehow found herself holding onto his arm, but he seemed completely unbothered by it when she glanced at his face in panic.

“You should have seen his face,” Gabriel managed to get out, “I ‘managed to restore’ the connection after akumatising you, and detransforming and when he saw you coming through that door he went white in terror.”

“God I _wish_ I could remember that,” she said, “I hope there were pictures. I hear I turned people into pigs?”

“I thought it seemed suitable, even Chat Noir seemed to agree until you targeted _him,_ I don’t think I’ve ever seen either one of them put less effort into protecting anyone an akuma was targeting. I think I even saw him take a photo of you akumatising that photographer we cut ties with over how he treated the models.”

Nathalie _did_ remember that guy. That whole incident could have turned into a PR disaster if they hadn’t realised what was happening. She’d taken a particular vicious satisfaction in informing that man that they’d never be making use of his services again.

That said that nagging feeling came back to her, and made her stop laughing, “I did almost wonder if he knew me somehow? He seemed very concerned. But that doesn’t make any sense, I don’t _know_ any teenage boys. I think maybe he must know someone else who had a similar experience-his mother, or an older sister or friend maybe, he did seem worried about it taking place in the _workplace_ specifically.”

“Really?” Gabriel sobered up too, “That’s an interesting tidbit though I’m not sure how we could use it unless I went on a spree of akumatising aggrieved women to see if that threw them off their game. Ladybug didn’t seem that keen on the people she had to save either.”

“It would certainly complicate Hawkmoth’s reputation if you started doing that.” She could imagine the write-ups on certain websites, “But I suppose we don’t want to give them a reason _not_ to fight you when the whole point is drawing them out.”

“They’d still fight me I’m sure,” he pointed out, “they’re probably be angry at me taking advantage of other’s suffering, but tell me did Chat Noir say anything else to you?”

“Oh, this will make you laugh, he was worried it was _you_ that had upset me. I’m not sure how he knew who I was really, but of all the ridiculous things, can you imagine?”

Instead of amusement a shadow crossed his face, “I wonder.”

He didn’t say anything more.

“Sir?”

“Nothing,” he shook his head, “Just an idea I’ve had but I won’t trouble you with it until I’m more certain.”

“Alright then,” she accepted much as her curiosity grew.

He reached over to where she realised in embarrassment that her hand was still on his other arm, and wrapped it in his own, pulling it off. She expected him to let go of it then but instead his fingers shifted over her palm so they were effectively holding hands and then, his thumb stroked over hers.

“You should have said something you know,” he said.

“I didn’t want to make a fuss. And it’s never been anything I could really prove was more than a flirtatious manner before today.”

He frowned in a manner that oddly reminded her of Chat Noir earlier, “I wouldn’t have minded making a fuss. You do enough for me, it’s only right I should do something for you. You shouldn’t have had to deal with it.”

She rolled her eyes. They shouldn’t be letting themselves forget their respective positions. “You pay me not the other way round.”

“You being paid for helping Hawkmoth might come as a shock to the company, and I certainly don’t pay you to endure _that._ ”

“It seems pretty sorted now,” she said forcing herself to pull her hand out of his, “Hopefully he’s learnt his lesson. I mean it’s not like I’m opposed to flirting in the workplace, there has to be _somewhere_ for people with no life outside work like me to have a chance of finding relationships but I just don’t understand why anyone would continue when I made it clear I wasn’t interested.”

Gabriel stared at her, and she realised in horror that she’d just implied the only place she’d find a relationship was at work _to her employer,_ in her workplace, where it was _generally only them._ She wished the floor would swallow her up.

“Are you _looking_ for a relationship?” he asked.

She could have laughed at the confusion on his face as he visibly confronted the idea what she might actually exist outside the confines of assisting him with either their actual work or supervillainy. “Not really at the moment sir, I wouldn’t have the time.”

“I see,” he sounded uncomfortable, just as he generally did when he was encountering emotions and not using them for akumas. He gazed back at Emilie’s portrait for a moment then said, “I know my situation might not be a great advertisement for love, but I’d never trade my time with Emilie for anything. You shouldn’t hold back from creating a family of your own if you think you might want that.” His eyes looked her up and down, “You’re an attractive woman, I can understand why that man tried to pursue you, I’m sure you could find someone if you wanted.”

She tried hard not to blush. She thought she might have failed. She _did_ not need to hear that from him when she was starting to worry that sometimes rather than just wanting someone to look at her the way Gabriel did at Emilie she wanted _Gabriel_ to look at her like that which was a totally idiotic idea she tried to ignore.

“Thank you sir that’s very kind, but like I said it’s not really a priority for me at the moment,” she deflected and returned to her desk. She had _his_ family to put in order before she had any thoughts about one of her and unlike him she was much more doubtful about her abilities to find one. In some ways the Agrestes _were_ the closest thing to a family she had, sad as that was, but after all she’d been with them long enough.

She could feel Gabriel’s gaze following her and she wondered what he was thinking.

* * *

Adrien almost knocked the air out of her with how fiercely he hugged her when she let him back in the door to the house, “Nathalie, you’re ok.”

Her hands floated awkwardly by his side but she decided it was safe enough to let them rest over his back. Adrien seemed in need of the reassurance, and it wasn’t as if anyone else here was going to give it to him, especially in his mother’s absence.

He looked up at her, and for the third time this day she had a blonde male look at her concern, “I saw the akumatisation on the news. I so relieved you’re alright. ”

“Thank you Adrien,” she said touched at how worried he seemed about her. Adrien was a sweet boy and probably would have been worried about _anyone_ he knew, but it was still nice to indulge herself in the idea she had some importance to him, “I don’t really remember much of it but it seems like I didn’t do too much damage to Paris.”

Adrien snorted, “I think most of them deserved it. Well, maybe not Chat Noir.”

“I don’t suppose we can know what I was thinking in that state,” she agreed and she felt some of the tension leach out of Adrien.

Then his eyes narrowed, and he glanced at the Atelier door, “Did Father deal with whoever upset you?”

She couldn’t help but be relieved that unlike Chat Noir Adrien knew the true dynamics of the situation. Or not the _true_ dynamics given he was out of the loop regards Hawkmoth despite her mixed feelings about that but at least he saw his father as a possible _protector_ rather than _aggressor_ in the situation.

She gave a small smile to reassure him, “I believe we’re not doing business with that firm anymore. I told him it was an overreaction but,”

“I don’t think it was an overreaction.”

“You’re not the one who has to find another firm for us to deal with,” his face dropped a little, “though thankfully it’s not really my job either. Now, don’t you have homework to be doing before your piano lesson?”

Adrien let go of her, “Yeah, I do actually. But Nathalie?”

“Yes?”

“You should tell someone about things like this. You shouldn’t let it get to a point where you could get akumatised because of it.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not worried about getting in a situation where I get akumatised again.” Adrien couldn’t understand how true _that_ was. “Now go do your homework.”

As she watched him run upstairs she thought that _this_ akumatisation might have been for selfish purposes of her own but that she’d be willing to get akumatised a thousand times if that’s what it took to put this family back together.

**Author's Note:**

> Decided to translate #BalanceTonPorc because for once I'm being consistent in translating to English.
> 
> Please feel free to imagine the awkward confrontation Adrien & Gabriel 100% have over dinner or something where Adrien blames his father for exposing Nathalie to this.


End file.
